


Crossroads (2007)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-09
Updated: 2007-08-09
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1861851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite his misgivings, Jounouchi honours a promise he made to his love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossroads (2007)

Jounouchi's face was expressionless as he gripped the steering wheel of the non-descript grey sedan he'd borrowed from a friend of a friend. It wasn't flashy, it had no distinguishing features, and it wouldn't draw anyone's attention as it turned down the long, lonely laneway leading to the old, unassuming manor. He parked in front of the large, covered porch, and he sighed heavily as he shut the engine off.

He climbed from the car, moving slowly like someone who was beyond weary, and he turned his solemn amber eyes toward the structure. In its glory day, it would have been the talk of the town. Now, the paint was peeling, the windows (the ones that weren't broken, anyway) needed cleaning, and noxious weeds were slowly advancing on the once pristine gardens. It had outlived its usefulness, and now it was abandoned and forgotten, left to the mercy of time as it slowly crumbled and decayed. A wry smile curved across his lips as he slung his backpack over his one shoulder and made his way to the porch, his feet crunching on the gravel. Up until now, he hadn't understood. Seto had told him that once he was there, he would. He couldn't help but snort in bitter amusement. The brunet had always been right about shit like that.

The stairs groaned under his weight, slight as it was. The porch, too, sagged a bit, and though it was able to support him, one of the boards still snapped feebly, no longer strong like it once had been. He went around the side, and his expression softened when he saw the other curled up in an old wooden rocking chair, a lightweight throw draped across his legs. "Hey," he called out, trying to mask the fear and sadness in his voice.

Sapphire eyes shifted from the nearby woods to him, and a brilliant smile lit up the brunet's face. "You came," he said quietly, his expression turning to one of mortification when he started to cough uncontrollably. He noted that Jounouchi had the good grace to drop his gaze, completely understanding his stubborn pride and how he loathed appearing weak. When he had regained control of himself, he brought a trembling hand up to wipe his mouth, and he scowled when it came away with a smear of crimson on it. "No one knows you're here, ne? You weren't followed?" he asked, his voice now carrying a slight rasp. The last thing he wanted was to cause more problems for the blond.

Jounouchi shook his head. "No, no one knows, just like you wanted. I even borrowed a car," he remarked, nodding towards the drive. "We put a fake set of plates on it, and Isono's going to take care of the detailing when I get back." He unslung his bag and set it on the ground. "You know, there's still time to change your mind. We don't have to do this. Maybe the doctors can –"

"No!" Seto interjected, the forceful tone causing him to go into another round of coughing. He let out a dark laugh when he came away with even more blood on his hand. "There's nothing more to be done."

The blond saw the way the other's lip quivered as he spoke, could see the pain behind the bravado in those deep blue eyes. Though the brunet would never say anything, he was hurting, and he was terrified. Jounouchi closed his eyes when he felt them start to water, and bowing his head slightly, he nodded. "I understand. I still don't like it, and I wish it didn't have to be like this, but I understand."

"Do you? Then explain it to me, please. I need to know that you really and truly do."

Jounouchi sighed. He thought back to the day a few months ago when Seto had come home and told him that he was dying. There was no cure for what he had, and as time went on, his internal organs would start to systematically degenerate and fail. His physicians had told him that they could prolong his life. He was told that that would involve mega doses of radical drugs with side effects like hair loss, puffiness, possible development of cataracts, and constant nausea. Even with the treatments, as the disease progressed, he would soon find his muscles starting to atrophy, and he would be bed-ridden, hooked up to machines and losing all sense of independence. Memory loss would be next, short-term memory going first, and then degenerating to the point where he wouldn't be able to speak at all. Seto had adamantly refused any sort of treatment, and had told the doctors to get the hell away from him. He had staunchly maintained since day one that such an existence wasn't a life at all, and the only thing he wanted from them was a better type of painkiller.

Perhaps it was his pride, but the brunet did not want to slowly waste away, gradually becoming a burden to those around him. The idea of having to watch the anger, sadness and resentment grow in the eyes of those he loved as he was able to do less and less was beyond distasteful, and Seto had refused to be coddled and pitied. No, he'd always been strong and defiant, and he swore he wouldn't run from death as he tried to steal a few more moments like some coward, picking up the scraps to live as nothing more than an empty shell.

"You don't want to be remembered like that," Jounouchi began, having to pause to keep control of his emotions. "You are the most powerful man in Japan, and you want to die strong and proud, still able to do things for yourself. You're like a dragon, Set'. You'd never settle for just wasting away, weak and forgotten, clinging to life and barely acknowledged by anyone – like this house." Though his eyes glittered with unshed tears, Jounouchi smiled. "That's why you picked this place, isn't it?"

The brunet smiled back and nodded. "I'm sure there are others who will later think I was a coward for doing this, but so long as you understand – and you do – the rest of the world can go to hell as far as I'm concerned." The smile slipped a little, and a single tear ran down his cheek. "I just…I don't want to be alone when it happens. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're here."

"We've been together for three years now. How could I not be?" The blond dropped his gaze to his hands and picked at a hangnail. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have Mokuba here? I mean, he's known you the longest, and he is your brother."

Seto shook his head. "No. If it couldn't be you, I didn't want anyone." He reached out and took one of Jounouchi's hands in his. "I'm ready now, if you are." Blue eyes shifted to glance at the blond's backpack. "If you don't want to watch this part, there's a nice stream out back – it shouldn't take me more than ten minutes or so."

"I said I'd be here for you, and I meant it," the shorter male replied. "For all of it." He reached into the side pocket of his satchel and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. After he'd slipped them on, he crouched down and untied the drawstring, setting a large prescription bottle, a fifth of Scotch, and a shot glass on the table beside his lover. He saw the brunet's brow arch, and he couldn't help but smile as he waggled his covered fingers. "You know for a fact the cops are going to investigate. If no one's supposed to be here, it'd look awfully suspicious, don't you think?"

Seto laughed at that. "Is it any wonder I love you?" he asked as he opened the liquor and downed a shot. He slowly licked his lips, and then reached for the bottle of sleeping pills. Systematically, he began taking small handfuls of the tablets, occasionally pausing to have another drink.

Jounouchi watched this in morbid fascination, finding the brunet's enthusiasm akin to a child devouring a packet of candy. He made small talk with the other, deliberately avoiding the one issue that was foremost in his mind and trying his damnedest not to think about what was happening. "Is there anything you want me to do…after?" He knew he didn't need to explain.

The blue-eyed male shook his head. "No. Wait; yes, there is." He nodded to an envelope sitting on the small end table. "Give that to Isono when you get back. It has instructions on how he is to proceed." He forewent the shot glass, and took a large draught directly from the bottle. As he wiped his mouth, he met the blond's gaze. "It's not going to hurt, Jounouchi, I promise you. Think of it like putting a big dog to sleep." The irony of his statement caused the corners of his mouth to momentarily twitch upwards in a sardonic smirk. "I'm just going to nod off here, and then, that's all. Quite peaceful when you think about it, really. I always thought I'd die violently, like Gozaburo." He shrugged at that, though he did chuckle darkly. "Lucky me." He shook the remaining tablets into his palm and crunched them up between his teeth, making a face at the slightly bitter taste. "I swear to you, I'll wait for you on the other side. But give me your word that you won't be in a rush to come see me, ne? I'll still be there even if it takes decades."

At those words, two tears snaked down the blond's cheeks to drip soundlessly onto his t-shirt and he took the other's hand in his. "I promise, Set'. You'd better be there, too, or I'll kick your ass." Though it was an attempt to lighten the mood, a choked sob made its way through his façade.

The brunet smiled. "That's good. And you're welcome to try…" He fell silent after that, his brow relaxing as a contented expression settled on his face. Sluggishly, he moved in his chair, struggling to pull the blanket further up his body. "I'm glad I could count on you. I love you, my Katsuya." His hand slipped free from the other's grasp, his fingers feeling like leaded weights. "We're so much alike, you and I, it's scary." Heavy lids blinked open, and the glazed sapphire met the gorgeous amber one final time. "Even more so now."

As Seto's eyes slipped closed again, Jounouchi reached out and undid the top two buttons on the other's gakuran, and then gently sifted a hand through the soft chestnut tresses. Lovingly, he adjusted the blanket on the slender body, and if he didn't know better, it looked like the brunet was just slumbering peacefully on a calm summer afternoon. "I love you too, my Seto," he whispered, and then he rested his hands on the arms of the chair as he leaned forward to press one final kiss to those unspeakably soft lips. He lingered for several long moments, knowing that this one embrace would have to sustain him until they met again, and then he slowly withdrew. He gazed at the brunet for a long time, his expression impassive. He'd told Seto that he would be strong for both of them, and he held to his promise, waiting until he was certain that it was truly over and his lover, soul mate and best friend was really gone before he allowed the bitter tears to finally fall, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

It wasn't long before he managed to recompose himself and, dashing the moisture away from his eyes with the back of his hand, he picked up his satchel and the brunet's letter, leaving the other items positioned exactly where Seto had left them, just like they'd discussed. Not looking back, he strode purposefully back to the unassuming grey sedan and carefully drove away so as not to leave any sign that he'd been there. Despite it being Seto's wish, the whole thing felt callous and impersonal to him, and yet, he hadn't really tried all that hard to prevent it from happening. It was a last request, he had made a promise, and there had been nothing more to say.

As he looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror, he could see that there was a dead, haunted look in the amber depths – one that he had often seen in his lover's icy sapphire but had never understood. He glanced down at the envelope sitting on the passenger seat beside him, and he smiled humourlessly, the brunet's last words coming back to him, replaying over and over in his mind. He knew now what it was, what had been the motivating factor behind those cold, lifeless eyes. It was guilt – a special kind of remorse reserved for a killer.

Until the day he died, Jounouchi knew that every time he caught a glimpse of himself, he would see Seto in shades of amber. Perhaps the constant reminder of the brunet would help him to remember that he wasn't truly alone. With that thought in mind, maybe he'd even be able to live with the crushing secret he carried next to his heart.


End file.
